REVIEW: BETA LACTAM ANTIBIOTIC DRUG RESISTANCE

The class of β-lactam antibiotics has  antibiotic agents that possess β-lactam ring as part of their molecular structure, these agents includes cephalosporins, monobactams, penicillins   and carbapenems. these are the most widely used antibiotics which act by inhibiting the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall such activity leads to the lysis and death of the bacteria. due to the wide applications of these antibiotics bacteria have developed resistance mechanism against these antibiotics which is usually mediated by the enzymes  β-lactamases , it hydrolyse β-lactam ring of the β-lactam antibiotics rendering it inactive. recent studies have revealed that the combination of β-lactam antibiotics with β-lactamase inhibitors can be used to successfully overcome the effect of β-lactamases. this review discussed the mechanism of β-lactam antibiotic activity, the mechanisms of β-lactam antibiotic resistance and how to overcome the effect of the β-lactamases.